Impact of Power - Rocky
by ScarletDeva
Summary: Rocky has been red and Rocky has been blue. And now Rocky is just Rocky for the first time in a long time. But that's more important than he has ever realized.


**Impact of Power - Rocky**

By: ScarletDeva

Betaed by: Some combination of Shawn30, JTrevizo and Pink_Green_White_4ever.

Rating: K (maybe K+)…

Spoiler: MMPR to the Turbo movie

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belonged to Saban, then to Disney, and now are owned by Saban again. I'm so confused…

Summary: Rocky has been red and Rocky has been blue. And now Rocky is just Rocky for the first time in a long time. But that's more important than he has ever realized.

This is my third in a series of vignettes focused on former power rangers and how they find what they accomplished under the helmet had bigger impacts than just saving the world. JTrevizo's Kimberly vignette is already up, and additional stories will be posted under the Impact of Power title by other authors such as Pink_Green_White_4ever and Shawn30. A community is also now set up where all the series will be archived, as well as JTrevizo's website.

* * *

Rocky stepped quietly into the Angel Grove community center, each movement slow and steady to avoid jolting his still aching back.

Unlike the casually structured Youth Center, where the teens ran their own classes under Ernie's benevolent and easy going eye, the community center offered a variety of programs for everyone from tots to seniors, all programs organized by trained professionals, although some taught by unpaid volunteers like him. But where the Youth Center's denizens mostly came from well to do families and paid their class fees easily, the community center served the underprivileged and it was apparent from the well worn floor and the old, obviously repainted furniture in the recreation room.

Rocky was very familiar with the center's financial issues though there wasn't much he could do about them.

"Hey, Rock."

He lifted his head from counting his steps and offered his usual grin to Sienna Lewis, the center's director. If the sentiment behind it was a little tired, that was between him and his mirror. "Hi Si. Kids ready for me?"

"Always," the tiny redhead replied and easily fell in stride with him as he headed to the center's kitchen. "They're coming along really well, I think, between you and Alex, learning all those basic life skills."

Rocky laughed, the sound feeling award and harsh in his throat. "I'm just teaching cooking classes now that I have to take a break from..." He trailed off and gestured at himself.

Sienna shook her head. "You'll be back to teaching the self defense classes once you feel better. And you know better than that Rocky. You're teaching them how to feel confident in taking care of themselves and those around them. Now if only..."

"If only what?" he asked, tamping down the urge to shoot the older woman a sharp glance.

She shrugged as she opened the door into the basement, the stairs solid and wide if just as old and used as the rest of the center. "Well you know how the Blue Zeo Ranger sometimes comes to talk to our community classes. I got a letter that..." she paused.

Rocky froze. He expected it, dreaded it really and now the conversation was here.

He started the visits as Zeo Ranger Blue not too long after he took up his new color. The kids in his cooking class were especially freaked out after Mondo's arrival, burning at least three pans of scrambled eggs to smoldering coals. He went home troubled only to find a letter from Florida awaiting him. It was only by happenstance that Kimberly was the only person that knew about his involvement in the center since his move to Angel Grove but, when he saw the former pink ranger's pretty cursive handwriting, he knew she was the very person he needed to talk to. He got a week of extra chores for the three hour long long-distance phone call but the next day, buoyed by his friend's spunky familiar voice, Zeo Ranger Blue appeared in Sienna's tiny, cluttered office.

And now, Zeo Ranger Blue was gone. Only Rocky was left behind, and he was left behind in more ways than one.

"What?" he prompted her gently, feeling his back twinge like ants crawling under his skin.

"The letter, it says it's from him, and he says he can't come anymore." She smiled, a little sadly. "I don't doubt," she said, her voice ringing with conviction, "that there's a good reason, but it's too bad. For the kids and the adults. It was good for everyone to have a chance to talk to one of our city's heroes."

Sienna's faith in him, not just in Rocky DeSantos, but also Rocky the Ranger, stunned him for a moment. He wasn't the leader, or the strongest, or the heart of the team. He was just Rocky, the guy who cracked jokes so no one could tell how badly everyone and everything mattered to him. That's why he told no one what he did at the center and cringed for a blow that never came when Kim found out. She told him he was being ridiculous but he wasn't sure he believed her...he may have been starting to now.

He paused at the door to the kitchen, not knowing what to say. "I guess you'll have to make do with us," he joked weakly.

Sienna, who had just turned to leave, spun on a short, sensible heel, her eyes open wide. "The Power Rangers may fight evil aliens, Rocky DeSantos, but you fight evil of a different kind right here." With a huff, the woman walked away, leaving her words ringing in the space between them.

Rocky stepped inside the kitchen, still hearing Sienna in his head even as he looked around the room. The fixtures and appliances probably dated back to the 70's but the young teens milling around in front of the old counters didn't seem to notice.

A young girl elbowed the boy next to her and called, "Hey Mr. D!"

The other kids hollered their hellos.

"How you feelin', Mr. D?" a young boy called as he rolled a chair over to Rocky.

He knew that Alex had told them about his injuries when Rocky had to take time off from teaching to heal and rest. Neither Rocky nor anyone else at the center wanted the often prickly youngsters to think they had been abandoned by Rocky's absence. And their boisterous greeting told him that his concern did not go unappreciated, although it would certainly not be verbally acknowledged.

Rocky nodded. "Better, Lonzo." He gently chucked the kid on the shoulder and just as gently settled himself into the offered seat. "Settle down, guys. You know you gotta take pity on poor injured me."

A chorus of light hearted jeers greeted his words, along with a crumpled up piece of paper someone tossed at his head. Rocky caught projectile, more with his face than his hand, but he picked it up off his lap and carefully unfolded it. Inside, a crude picture of what he figured was him in blue jeans and a blue shirt was scribbled in blue ballpoint. The title of the picture was below: "Mr. D, not the worst teacher ever."

From his kids, most of whom were no more comfortable with open emotion than Rocky himself, that was as close to a Medal of Valor that he was going to get.

"You're not the worst students ever either," he kidded as he unwrapped his seven inch santoku. His kids booed in response.

"Mr. D, Mr. D," a girl called.

"Yes, Janiya?" Rocky asked as he began his mise en place.

"I tried that recipe you left us for homework at home and my big sister actually stayed for dinner!" Janisha, one of the tougher kids to crack, sounded almost wondrous at what she was telling him.

"That's great, J."

"Hey, I made scrambled eggs for my ma on Sunday," one of the boys said. "She actually liked it."

The kids, competitive as always, swapped stories of using his lessons.

Then one of the littlest girls jumped up, Aiko. "I made the bully that torments my little brother go away with that move from the lesson last month." Her hands clenched into tiny, lethal fists she looked as fierce as a lioness on the prowl.

And, looking at his kids, as the warmth started in his stomach and crawled all the way up to his face, Rocky finally managed a smile that didn't hurt his lips. Even without ranger powers, a blue spandex suit or an awesome zord, he did something every time he taught a class for these kids that made everything he'd done as a ranger nearly pale in comparison - he gave them pride and hope.


End file.
